Get Focused

Once you’ve identified some of your strengths, abilities, interests and values and explored possible career paths, it’s time to narrow your focus.

• Begin to create a career action plan. A career action plan is a road map to help you define and document the steps necessary to achieve your career goals. This is a flexible process that can be started or updated at any time. You can begin to create a plan whether you have settled on a major, a general industry or field, or a niche within that field.
• Create some goals for now and start to make a plan for how to achieve them. We suggest creating S.M.A.R.T. goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound.
• Ask questions and do research to discover what knowledge, skills or certifications you need to reach your goals.
• Identify specific people – family members, faculty, alumni, etc. – who would be good for you to involve in your job search at this time.
• Create your job search “toolkit.” Your job search toolkit consists of your resume or CV, cover letter(s), personal statement, LinkedIn profile, and self-introduction or “elevator speech.” Come to walk-in hours or make an appointment with a career coach, your co-op faculty advisor, or a Pathways advisor to go over your materials and make sure they are ready to show to potential employers.